Listen up scumbags! Have you ever wondered how an automatic transmission works? Well, today's your lucky day. We came across these top secret army training movies, which we're told were filmed in the room next door to the cell where they tested pot and LSD on 19-year-old privates.

Now you'll be all the wiser about how slush boxes transmit power to the rear wheels. Automatic transmissions are still nearly impossible for most people to fix on their own, but since most Americans drive cars equipped with them, it's not a bad idea to have some general notion of how they work.

That covers planetary gearsets — the part of an auto tranny that lets you change gears. The video explaining torque converters can be found here.